Running tests to verify the performance of software systems is a time- and resource-consuming process for many organizations. Often events such as installation of new software modules or updating or customizing software modules require running many tests in order to verify that after the software systems still operate as expected. Since such software systems are often large and complex (e.g., SAP ERP may include thousands of compilation units), testing can take up a large portion of the information technology (IT) budgets of the organizations.
Since many organizations utilize same or similar software modules (e.g., modules belonging to standard software packages), they often end up running similar tests. However, since testing software systems belonging to an organization often involves accessing proprietary data and/or trade secrets of the organizations, organizations tend not to share this information. This is unfortunate, since were organizations able to utilize each other's testing-related knowledge, which is in a sense a wisdom of the crowd (of testers), they might be able to come up with a more effective and efficient testing plan. That being said, given the diversity in software systems and customizations, and the large and diverse body of tests performed to validate the software systems, it may not be an easy task to generate and/or select tests that may suite a specific organization's needs.